by

Norm E. Easley

The creation of acid reflux involves the mucosal lining of the esophagus, the stomach, the cardiac valve, the pyloric valve, the liver and the gall bladder. The esophagus is the tube that runs from the throat to the stomach. Between the stomach and the esophagus is a valve, called the cardiac valve (it has nothing to do with the heart. It is just called the "cardiac" valve because of its close proximity to the heart). The purpose of this one-way valve is to enable food to pass into the stomach and not flow backwards into the esophagus. There is also a valve at the bottom of the stomach called the pyloric valve. The pyloric valve allows digested food to move from the stomach into the small intestine. To produce the symptom of heartburn, the acidic contents of the stomach leak past the cardiac valve and irritate the lining of the esophagus. To accomplish this, several conditions must be present t keep food in the stomach for too long. Acid reflux is a more advanced case of heartburn where food moves up the esophagus to the throat.

Stomach issues are a real bummer. They force you on a daily basis to clean up your act though. When you concentrate on correcting the source of the problem, you almost always start with your diet. That is one way to stay healthy! I have been dealing with stomach issues myself recently, and it can be very painful when I stray form the "perfect" diet. Unconscious eating becomes VERY conscious right away!

Normally, a healthy stomach will be empty within an hour of eating a low-fat meal. Foods, which contain more fat calories, can reduce the emptying of the stomach for as much as six hours! This is why rich, fatty meals contribute to heartburn. A healthy digestive tract, however, can manage extended digestive requirements since the stomach will always be emptying the digested food. Heartburn occurs when the digestive functions are suspended preventing the stomach from emptying. The stomach then becomes a holding tank for undigested food. It is much like putting a pureed meal in a covered pan and leaving it for a few hours at 100 degrees. The food begins to rot creating acidity and various gases. Prolonged acidity irritates the lining of the stomach and weakens the cardiac valve. So what causes the decreased digestion.

Two primary factors determine the speed of stomach digestion. First, the gall bladder has hormone control of the stomach and pyloric valve. When the gall bladder is capable of producing adequate amounts of bile to process the fat in the stomach, it will allow the stomach to empty. If it is not ready, it will prevent food from leaving the stomach. In addition, the liver manufactures bile for the gall bladder to refine and hold until necessary. If the liver is unable to provide adequate amounts of bile, then it will prevent the stomach from emptying. There are also various disorders, such as hypoglycemia and circulation problems, that can trigger a stress response in the body. Stress responses tighten the valves of the digestive tract preventing the passage of food. This is why it is not a good idea to eat on the run or when stressed or emotional. To correct average cases of acid reflux and heartburn, it is important to maintain normal gall bladder and liver function. The type of disorder is clarified by the symptoms they produce.

Keep your diet clean so that the food goes down, not up!